Fresh or chilled anchovies enter under this line in whole or dressed form, with fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304 explicitly excluded — a distinction that matters because anchovy fillets (particularly salt-cured European-style products) are a separate commercial category. Anchovies serve as both a direct food fish in Mediterranean and Southeast Asian cuisines and a key raw material for fish sauce, fishmeal, and omega-3 oil production, though the latter industrial uses typically involve frozen or processed product rather than fresh imports. FDA admissibility requirements apply, and importers should note that the common name 'anchovy' covers multiple genera (Engraulis, Stolephorus, etc.), so the commercial invoice should specify the scientific name to support accurate classification and traceability. Scombrotoxin risk, while lower than for larger scombroid species, is still a consideration for fresh anchovies.

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